MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Quiel entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday morning, the state weather bureau said.
In its severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that the “Quiel”, entered the Philippine territory at 8 a.m.
At 10 a.m., the center of “Quiel” was located 540 kilometers (km) west-southwest of Iba, Zambales.
It is packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 55 kph.
The weather disturbance is moving east-northeast at 10 kph, Pagasa said.
It added that “Quiel” may intensify into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours, but is less likely to make landfall.
While no tropical cyclone wind signal was raised, the tropical depression as well as the frontal system will bring moderate to occasional heavy rains over Northern Luzon, Zambales and Bataan.
Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are likewise expected over the Mindoro provinces and Palawan.
Residents of the said areas were advised to take precautionary measures and watch out for floods and rain-induced landslides.
Pagasa warned that sea travel is risky, especially for smaller vessels, over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon due to potentially rough sea conditions.
The weather bureau is also monitoring tropical cyclone Halong, outside PAR, which was last spotted 3,110 km east of extreme Northern Luzon.
Pagasa said it packs maximum sustained winds of 155 kph and gusts of up to 190 kph.
It is moving northwest at 10 kph and is less likely to enter Philippine territory. /gsg